Leaf or sheet turner.



No. 744,384. PATENTED NOV. 17. 1903. W. A. MOULTON.. LEAF 0R SHEET TURNER.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1902.

N0 IODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A Wifnasses. Q5 37 53 M K- E. LBW, William PLMUUHBH.

PAT ENTED NOV. 1'7, 1903.

W. A. MOULTON.

LEAF OR SHEET TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

M g WW? UNITED, STATES Fatented November 1'7, 1903.

PATENT Grinch.

LEAF OR SHEET TURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,884, dated November 1'7, 1908. Application filed September 19,1902. Serial No. 123.988. (No model.)

To H/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. MOULTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwood, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Leaf or Sheet Turners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanism for turning leaves or sheets of music or the like, and has for its object the provision of such a leaf-turner which, while simple and comparatively inexpensive, may be folded into a small compass for carrying, readily opened and attached to a stand or a rack, and quickly and easily operated.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of one embodiment of my invention, shown attached to a folding musicstand, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial bottom plan View of the mechanism removed from the stand. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the same folded. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan View, considerably enlarged, of one of the turning members with the finger removed. Fig. 6 is a side elevation thereof, parts being broken away. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of one of the turning-fingers. Fig. 8 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 9 is a sectional detail of the pivot-pin and more closely associated parts. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of one of the attaching devices. Fig. 11 is a broken side elevation of the extension-finger. Fig-12 is a broken top plan view thereof, and Fig. 13 is a front elevation of my improved turning mechanism permanently attached to a music-stand, one side of the rack of which is shown in the folded position.

Similar characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The letter S designates a stand of usual construction, here illustrated as a music-stand of the folding type, comprising a standard and a rack or head 21, this latter being made up of pivoted base-pieces 22 and pivoted back pieces 23. Mounted upon this stand is my improved leaf-turner, which, as shown on the first sheet of the drawings, includes a horizontally-extending supporting member M, said member being preferably formed of two slightly-overlapping sections or bars 24 25 of thin metal, pivoted upon one end of a pin 26, which may be upset above the upper section, these sections lying above a collar 26, fast upon the pin and forming, when extended, a practically continuous bar, furnishing a support both for the leaves to be turned and for the actuating elements. To secure this supporting member upon the rack, a pair of attaching devices may be employed, each conveniently consisting of a block 27, provided with means forengaging both the turner-bar and the base-piece of the rack, here shown as slots 28 29 near the upper and lower portion of the block, respectively, the former being of suitable width to receive the bar and the latter to receive the base-piece. Each block may be clamped firmly upon the basepiece by a set-screw 30, projecting into the slot 29. The bar or supporting member M is preferably retained in its slots by contact with the back pieces 23 of the rack. The slots in the attaching devices are separated by a sufficient distance to leave space between the base-piece and bar for certain elements to be hereinafter described.

The pivot-pin 26 of sections 24 25 extends below the collar 26 to receive turning members T T, which may conveniently rotate about it. As here illustrated, these turning members are two in number and may each consist of a roll 31, journaled upon the pin, a substantially horizontal arm of sheet orlike thin metal 32, and a substantially vertically upwardly extending finger 33, formed similarly to the arm. The rolls of the turning members are spaced from the bar by the collar 26 and lie side by side upon the pin, so that the arms occupy different planes parallel with the bar. Each roll is preferably recessed'at to receive the arm, and thus permit said rolls to lie as closely together as possible. The roll of the arm T may be recessed at 36 to receive the head of a screw 36,which is threaded into the lower-end of the pin and serves to retain both rolls thereon. The arms of the turning members are of different lengths to allow the fingers to lie side by side in difi'erent vertical planes at right angles to the bar,while they may approximately occupy a common plane longitudinally of the bar. Recesses 57 38 in the sections 2a 25, respectively, enable the fingers to move'into the plane of the pivotal point of the arms and approach more closely to the back of the rack at both extremes of their movement. The vertical portion of each finger is slotted at 39 to receive the sheetorleaf to be turned. The fingers 33 are preferably separable from the arms and may be attached thereto by cooperating projections and recesses or openings. Each arm is here shown as provided with two headed pins 40 40, the heads being capable of passing through the main opening of keyhole-slots all 41 in a horizontal portion at of the finger. Then the shanks of the pins may be drawn into the elongated portion of the slots and the parts'seoured together by a button a2, pivoted at 4-3 upon the arm and bearing against the adjacent end of the finger.

To actuate the turning members and cause them to automatically rotate from right to left when released by the operator, each is provided with an actuating-spring itnvhich, as here illustrated, is of the spiral type and attached at one extremity at 4-5 in a groove 46 in the roll and at the other extremity to a stud 4-7, depending from the under side of the section 2% of the bar, under which the arms rest when the springs are not under operative tension, this stud being preferably common to all the springs.

Each turning member T T has a latch, these being designated by the characters L and L, respectively, to retain it at the right of the rack under the tension of its spring. These latches are preferably formed of thin metal and are fulcru med at: the under side of the bar 25 about a common stud d8, lying closely together one upon the other and moving in planes substantially parallel to said bar. Each latch consists of a comparatively short portion 49, extending longitudinally of the bar from the fulcrum, and a longer contact portion 50, projecting forwardly from the rack substantially at right angles to the bar for a considerable distance toward the operator. At a pointpreferably beneath the bar is an engaging projection 51, by which the turning member is retained, said projection contacting with the finger. The latches are so proportioned that their projections lie at different points along the bar to engage the successive fingers and also at different points transversely to the bar, so that the slots 39 lie in slightly separated parallel planes and receive successive leaves without interference. The contact portions are also of different lengths to enable the operator to readily strike one a time.

In use my improved leaf-turner is fitted to the rack by the attaching devices in the manner indicated or in any convenient way. The turning members are then drawn to the right against the tension of their springs and secured by their latches, the position of the fulcrum of which with relation to the point of engagement of the finger with the projections causing the pressure to tend to maintain the two in contact, while location of the fulcrum in line with the projection or on the other side thereof would tend to cause the pressure alone to disengage them and greatly favor accidental release. The music or other copy to be turned is then placed upon the supporting member with its center approximately in the line of the pivot-pin 2(5 and its leaves within the finger-slots, the first leaf being engaged by the finger the latch L of which has the longest contact portion. If the turn r is in use-for example, by a cornctist-upon finishing the first page of music he touches the contact portion of the latch L which projects nearest to him with tne bell of his cornet and by a slight movement of the instrument horizontally to the right, without removing his hands therefrom, trips the latch and releases the turning member T. Its spring immediately rotates said member to the left, carrying with it the leaf and presenting the following two pages. in exactly the same manner the succeeding leaf may be turned by tripping the latch L, and it is evident that to provide for a greater number of leaves it is only necessary to multiply the turning members and latches, as desired. The user of any other instrumentas a violin, for example-may operate the turner with equal ease by a touch of the head of the instrument upon the latch or of the hand holding the neck. In use upon the piano it requir s but an instants movement of the hand from the keyboard to effect the disengagement.

In addition to turning successive leaves about a meeting-line in handling music it is also necessary to provide for two other conditions. One of these is the turning of comparatively small single sheets from front to back. T accomplish this, the turning member T may be provided with a secondary slotted finger as, which is situated in proximity to the pivotal point of the arm and which maybe secured to the upper side of said arm in exactly the same manner as the finger 233. Itecesses 53 5st are formed in the bar-sections 2t 25, respectively, to receive these fingers. It will be seen that if a sheet be placed in the slots of the lingers 33 52 with its first page outward and the turningmeniber set at the right when the latch L is tripped the entire sheet will be transferred to the left of the racl; and its opposite side presented.

The third form to be turned is the large double sheet which has the first two pages printed upon one side and one or more other pages upon the reverse. To support the outer edge of these sheets,a slotted extensionfinger 55 may be provided, carried on the opposite side of the main linger from the pivotal point. it may be secured in place by a grooved portion 56, which may be of proper dimensions and of sufficient resiliency to enable it to be pressed upon one side of the linger This latter finger new carries the center 00. of the sheet while fingers 2 and 55 support the inner and outer edges, respectively. The Y operation of turning is identical with that! just described.

When it is desired to fold my turner, the attaching devices are released from the rack and removed from it and from the bar, the fingers are detached, the arms are permitted to rest at the left of the bar with the springs out of tension, the latches are extended longitudinally of the bar, and the bar-sections are folded over one another, the whole mechanism presenting the appearance shown in Fig. 4c and occupying, with the detached fingers and blocks, but little space, and as all the metal from which the parts are made is so thin, and since it may be of aluminium, if desired, the weight is trifling.

It is possible to make the turner permanently a part of a folding stand, so that they may be sold as one article, and such an arrangement is illustrated in 13. Here the sections 24: and 25 may be omitted and the pivot-pin 26 of the supporting member riveted or otherwise secured directly to the left-hand base-piece of the rack, while the latches are pivoted directly to the right-hand base-piece. Both of the base-pieces may be slotted at the proper points to receive the fingers. The operation of the mechanism is precisely the same as that previously described, and when the fingers are removed the rack may be folded in the usual manner, the turner adding but slightly to its bulk. It will be understood that in this form the base-piece of the rack becomes the supporting member of the turner.

Having thus described my invention, claim- 1. In aleaf orsheetturner, the combination with a supporting member, of a plurality of turning members carried by the supporting member, means for actuating the turning members, and a latch for each turning member, said latches being provided with contact portions extending for different distances toward the operator, said difference in extension being sufficient to enable the operator to readily strike a single latch at a time.

2. In a leaf orsheetturner, the combination with a supporting member, of aturning member pivoted to the supporting member, means for rotating the turning member, and a forwardly-extending latch for said'turning member fulcrumed at a point between its pointof engagement with the turning member and the pivot thereof.

3. In a leaf or sheet turner, the combination with a supportin member of a plurality of turning members carried by the supporting member, means for actuating the turning members, and a latch for each turning member, said latches moving about a commom ful- 'cruin and being each provided with an engaging projection extending from it and coacting with the turning member to retain the same against movement.

e. In aleaf or sheet turner, the combination with a supporting member, of a plurality of turning members carried by the supporting member, means for actuating the turning members, and a latch for each turning memher, said latches moving about a common fulcrum and being each provided with an engaging projection for a turning member, each projection being situated at different distances from the fulcrum.

5. In a foldingleaf orsheet turner, the combination with a horizontally-extending leafsupporting member formed in two sections, of apin upon which the sections are pivoted projecting below the same, a turning member rotatable upon said pin below the supporting member, and means for actuating the turning member 6. In a folding leaf or sheet turner, the combination with horiZontally-extending leafsupporting member formed in two sections, of a pin upon which the sections are pivoted projecting below the same, a turning member having a removable portion or finger extending above the supporting member and being rotatable upon said pin below the supporting member, and means for actuating the turning member 7. The combination with a bar adapted to be mounted upon a rack, of a turning arm pivoted upon the bar, a spring for actuating the arm, and a latch for said arm fulcrumed to the bar and extending from the fulcrumpoint first longitudinally of the bar and then substantially at right angles thereto, into engagement with the arm.

8. The combination with a folding bar formed in pivoted sections and adapted to be mounted upon a rack and to extend substantially horizontally therefrom, of a turningarm carried beneath the bar, means for actuating the arm, and a latch fulcrumed to one of the bar-sections and capable of being extended along the same when the sections are folded.

The combination with a horizontally-extending leaf-supporting bar formed in pivoted sections, of a roll rotatable beneath one of the sections, a turning-arm secured to the roll, and a sprin attached to the roll and to the bar-section in proximity to which the arm rests when the spring is not in operative tension.

10. The combination with a horizontallyextending leaf-supporting bar formed in two sections, of a pin upon which the sections are pivoted extending below the same, a roll rotatable upon the pin, a turning-arm secured to the roll, and a spring attached to the roll and to the bar.

11. In a leaf or sheet turner, the combination with a folding supporting member, of a turning-arm carried by the supporting memher, a separable finger mounted upon the arm, said arm and linger being provided with oppositcly-situated headed pins and keyhole- Ice slots, and a button for maintaining the pins and slots in cooperation.

12. In a leaf or sheet turner, the combination with a supporting member, of a turningarm pivoted upon the supporting member, means for actuating the arm, a main turningfinger secured to the arm, and an extensionfinger carried by the arm on the opposite side of the main finger from the pivotal point.

13. In a leaf or sheet turner, the combination with a supporting member, of a turningarm pivoted upon the supporting member, means for actuating the arm, a main turningfinger secured to the arm, and an extension- YVILLIAM A. MOULTON.

Vitnesses: FRED A. RICH, FRANK B. R1011. 

